About

Vegan Festival Adelaide

We're here to celebrate, promote, and provide education for a compassionate, healthy, and sustainable vegan lifestyle

[Veganism is] a philosophy and way of living that seeks to exclude - as far as possible and practical - all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose; and, by extension, promote the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals, and the environment.

— The Vegan Society

The Festival is a family and pet friendly celebration and discussion of vegan life. A fun-filled atmosphere is fuelled by guest speakers, live music, cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops, kids activities, and a diverse array of market stalls of vegan products, vegan food and beverages, animal rights groups, and vegan societies.

The team wish to thank the generous sponsors, both corporate and individual, without whom the Festival would not be possible.

Veganism addresses some of the greatest issues facing the world today. The core of the movement is focused on the ethical treatment of animals. However, in doing so, there are also multiple benefits to human health and the global environment. Globally, the number of vegans is growing and Australia has the third fastest growing vegan market in the world. Here in Adelaide, we have one of the strongest vegan communities in the country: A growing local community committed to global goals.

Vegan Festival Adelaide brings together Adelaide's local vegan and non-vegan community in an atmosphere of celebration and education. Founded in 2007, the Festival aims to explore a diverse vegan lifestyle and demonstrate how just a few adjustments can lead to a more compassionate way of living. One of the top three community events in Adelaide, the festival has grown dramatically from its first 1,000 attendees in 2007 to over 17,000 in 2017. The Festival is brought to life by the support of generous sponsors and a committee of dedicated individuals who give their time and energy. The Festival supports charities that improve the lives of animals, people in need, or the environment. Past recipients of support from the Festival can be seen here. The power to support vegan ideals doesn't only come from the profits of the Festival, the whole event embodies and celebrates these ideals.

Recognising the positive changes happening in the world inspires the Festival to provide a large scale event that allows vegans to celebrate in an atmosphere of music, cooking, and the very best vegan products. However, the Festival also recognises and addresses the remaining and future issues that impact animal welfare, human health, and the environment. Leading vegan communicators from across Australia and the world explore and discuss the vegan philosophies and their power for change. Challenging vegans and non-vegans alike to be the best they can be. Importantly, non-vegans are welcomed to the festival and given the opportunity to learn the vegan philosophies, to hear from and ask questions of leading vegan communicators, and enjoy one of Adelaide’s most vibrant events without judgement. Ultimately, the Festival aims to empower the community to take action and end animal cruelty, improve human health, and advance environmental sustainability. These three threads weave throughout the Festival's infrastructure and entertainment.

Veganism

Veganism isn’t just food, the range of products in our everyday lives that include animals products is astounding. However, showcased across the diverse range of Stalls and addressed by talks on the Main Stage are their vegan equivalents. Browse through collections of household products, cosmetics, clothing, and recycled goods. Don't worry, food is well represented, with sumptuous vegan meals and treats available, and Cooking Demonstrations that explain how to take the best vegan tastes home with you.

The Festival ensures that all products displayed and sold on site are 100% vegan. Local Vegan businesses are given priority, supporting the decision to be a completely vegan company in the local business community. Also, none of the entertainment exploit animals for their acts and no animals are used to erect our marquees and stages (although that isn't so common anyway!)

Health

We live longer than ever in the modern world but also suffer from cultural diseases, such as obesity, more than at any other period in history. Good health is the greatest asset to fully enjoy the life the modern world allows. A well-balanced and considered vegan diet is great for health. To help us stay fighting fit and cruelty free, the Festival features speakers, health professionals, cookery demonstrators, and athletes that understand the needs of the human body and how to address them with a totally vegan diet.

An active lifestyle is the partner of a good diet. To promote activity in day-to-day city life, attendees are encouraged to ride their bikes to the Festival and then engage with an array of workshops to stimulate physical and mental health. In the past, there has been: Yoga, Qi Gong, meditation workshops, fitness workshops and (of course) healthy vegan food. Not forgetting the practicalities of healthy, outdoor fun, sunscreen and drinking water are provided for free throughout the two day event. Oh, and important to note, a festival wouldn't be a festival without dancing, be ready to join us on the dance floor!

Environmental Sustainability

in 2018, 36,800 litres of waste was disposed of at Vegan Festival Adelaide. Of this, 31,280 litres were either recycled or composted. This year, General waste was reduced to 15% of the total, in comparison to 25% in 2017. Not only that, in 2018 ~7,000 litres less waste was generated than in 2017

Many vegan options offer inherent benefits for the environment - with the huge losses of biodiversity across the world and global temperatures rapidly rising as a result of human activities, there is so much that needs doing. Speakers at the Festival will bring the facts of global agriculture and animal farming, and explore the things we can all do to limit our individual environmental footprint. For example, "Beef results in up to 105kg of greenhouse gases per 100g of meat, while tofu produces less than 3.5kg"(1). However, this year the biggest analysis to date revealed the prime way to reduce your impact on Earth. “A vegan diet is probably the single biggest way to reduce your impact on planet Earth, not just greenhouse gases, but global acidification, eutrophication, land use and water use,” said Joseph Poore, at the University of Oxford, UK who led the research. “It is far bigger than cutting down on your flights or buying an electric car, as these only cut greenhouse gas emissions." Encouragingly, "[T]he latest figures from Roy Morgan Research reveal 2.25 million Australians aged 18 and over live a meat-free life, with Melbourne and Sydney leading the charge." (2). With Vegan business represented across the Festival, attendees can truly use consumer power and help 100% vegan companies grow to provide significant competition to the entrenched standards of the modern economy in Adelaide and beyon.

In 2017 we'd reduced our none reusable waste down to only 25% of our total waste! Compostable waste was 42%, an amazing 18600 litres. Recyclables were a third of our waste, coming in at 14560 litres. As we push our total waste down, we want the proportions of compostable and Recyclable waste to increase.

Year on year, the Vegan Festival Adelaide continuously improves its environmental impact, striving for the goal of being a Zero Waste Event. Marketing materials are produced from reused or recycled materials, and all furniture is hired or reused from previous events. Managing the waste of a growing population is a major issue and, unfortunately, festivals tend to produce a high concentration of waste. However, this also places us in a good position to demonstrate and educate attendees on how to divert as much waste away from landfill as possible. General, organics and recyclable bins are provided to maximise reuse and minimise landfill. In addition, food and drink stall holders only use compostable or recyclable ware so that minimal waste is produced. This allows attendees to place most of their day's waste into the organics bins. Furthermore, on-site cleaners will use environmentally safe cleaning products, ensuring Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga is left as a beautiful park in the centre of Adelaide without exposing the environment to harmful chemicals. Following the Festival, the only things lingering will be great memories.

Help us understand the environmental impact of Vegan Festival Adelaide

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Collaboration with the City of Adelaide

The City of Adelaide is committed to making the city more sustainable and is collaborating with event managers to improve environmental outcomes in city festivals and events.

With funding assistance from Council, Vegan Festival Adelaide is playing its part by: